Flutter, But Stop a Moment (Awww Monday), Inspiring Quote of the Week, and Poetry Monday

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Awww Monday is hosted by Sandee at Comedy Plus.

Join us every Monday for Awww...Mondays.  Post a picture that makes you say Awww... and that's it.

Make sure you get the code from Sandee's site, linked above, and leave a link to your post so we can visit you.  What better way to start the week than with a smile!

I asked the butterfly to flutter, but first to stop for a moment, and got these.

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Sparks is the brainchild of Annie of McGuffy's Reader, who wanted us to post something positive and uplifting at the start of the week.  While she no longer blogs, i like to post an Inspiring Quote of the Week in her honor.     

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Poetry Monday was started by Diane at On The Alberta/Montana Border.  Charlotte/Mother Owl participates, and now Karen at Baking in a Tornado is jumping in at least once a month, too.  Anyone else is welcome to join in the fun, just let Diane know!

This week the theme is Watermelon.                        

It was our favorite day

at summer camp every year,

when the trucks pulled in piled high

the whole place gave a cheer.

The pickup truck beds were packed

with watermelon in huge piles,

the counselors would start cutting,

and soon we were wearing sticky smiles.

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Eating watermelon

is delightful and peachy keen,

just remember you start on the red

and stop when you get to the green!

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My children loved watermelon,

and made such a sticky, sweet mess,

we had to make a rule about,

where to eat it and how to dress.

Whenever their father brought home

the delightfully messy fruit

they'd go outside by the garden hose

each clad in a bathing suit!

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Today is:

Basketball Day -- birth anniversary of James Naismith

Birth of Tiamat -- Ancient Babylonian Calendar (mother of gods, goddess of primeval chaos; date approximate)

Constitution Day -- Dominican Republic; Tajikistan; Tatarstan, Russian Federation

Electric Razor Day -- Jacob Schick patented the first electric razor on this day in 1937

Finnish Swedish Heritage Day -- Finland

Green March Day -- Morocco; Western Sahara

Gustavus Adolphus Day -- Sweden

Halfway Point of Autumn

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict -- UN

International End Gossip Day -- the founder of this didn't want to be gossiped about, and left no trace

Job Action Day -- a day for workers and job seekers to put job or career in the forefront, make plans, and take action 

Marching Band Day -- birth anniversary of John Philip Sousa

Marooned Without A Compass Day -- internet generated; how's your sense of direction?

National Day -- Tonga(obs.)

National Nachos Day / I Love Nachos Day

Recreation Day -- Tasmania, Australia

Saxophone Day -- Adolphe Sax birth anniversary

St. Illtyd's Day (Abbot, reputed cousin of King Arthur)

St. Leonard's Day (Patron of barrel makers/coopers, blacksmiths, captives, childbirth, coal miners, coppersmiths, greengrocers, horses, imprisoned people, locksmiths, miners, porters, P.O.W.'s, prisoners; Castelmauro, Italy; Conegliano, Italy; Kirkop, Malta; against burglaries, robberies/robbers)

Traffic Director's Day -- Traffic Directors Guild of America (those who are Traffic Managers, Inventory Control Specialists, Revenue Managers, or many other terms in the broadcasting and mobile industries, including radio and TV traffic directors, who always schedule your favorite shows when you just can't watch, and put more and more commercials in when they can; on the Monday nearest the anniversary of the first commercial radio broadcast in Pittsburgh in 1922)     

Birthdays Today:

Ethan Hawke, 1970

Pat Tillman, 1976

Rebecca Romijn, 1972

Thandie Newton, 1972

Ethan Hawke, 1970

Kelly Rutherford, 1968

Lance Kerwin, 1960

Maria Shriver, 1955

Nigel Havers, 1949

Glenn Frey, 1948

Sally Field, 1946

Mike Nichols, 1931

Walter Perry Johnson, 1887

James Naismith, 1861

Ignace Paderewski, 1860

John Philip Sousa, 1854

Cesare Lombroso, 1835

Adolphe Sax, 1814

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Good Morning America"(TV), 1975

"The Phil Donahue Show"(TV), 1967

"Meet The Press"(TV), 1947

Today in History:

Shipwrecked Spanish conquistador Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca becomes the first known European to set foot in Texas, 1528

Spain grants independence to the Dominican Republic, 1844

Scenes of Clerical Life, the first work of fiction by the author later known as George Eliot, is submitted for publication, 1856

Canada celebrates its first official, national Thanksgiving Day, 1879

Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa, 1913

Colonel Jacob Schick patents the first electric razor, 1928

Edwin Armstrong presents his paper "A Method of Reducing Disturbances in Radio Signaling by a System of Frequency Modulation" to the New York section of the Institute of Radio Engineers (hello, FM radio!), 1935

Parker Brothers acquires the forerunner patents for MONOPOLY from Elizabeth Magie, 1935

Plutonium is first produced at the Hanford Atomic Facility, 1944

The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation, 1962

Cuba and the United States formally agree to begin an airlift for Cubans who want to go to the United States, 1965

Green March begins: 300,000 unarmed Moroccans converge on the southern city of Tarfaya and wait for a signal from King Hassan II of Morocco to cross into Western Sahara, 1975

Australians vote to keep the Head of the Commonwealth as their head of state in the Australian republic referendum, 1999

Sweibodzin, Poland announced the world's largest statue of Jesus, called Christ the King, has been completed, 2010

Tammy Duckworth becomes the first disabled woman and first person born in Thailand to be elected to US Congress, 2012

Officials crack down on foreigners working illegally in Saudi Arabia and over 16,000 are arrested, 2013

According to a UN report, ISIS left behind over 200 mass graves containing thousands of victims in the area they once controlled, 2018

According to a study of over 400 million records on Ancestry and published in the journal Genetics, less than 10% of human longevity is due to our genes, 2018

The US Powerball jackpot rises to a world record of $1.9bn, 2022

Heritage (Cajun Joke) and Sunday Selections

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Just because Sandee of Comedy Plus is no longer hosting a Silly Sunday blog hop, do not expect me to quit telling Cajun jokes, especially as it has now become a habit.

While at Sam's Club yesterday, i saw mangos and picked up a box.  Grandma loves mangoes as much as i do, and i knew neither of us could eat a whole box of nine, so i figured on leaving four with her, giving two to #1 Son, who enjoys them, and having three for myself.

Then we went to the local grocery where they were still almost completely depleted of all canned soup, probably because of people stocking up for the hurricane that didn't hit our part of the state.  While i went and got everything on Grandma's list, Grandpa went and bought her more bottled water.

When we got to the house, the discussion with Grandma went just as i thought it would.

Grandma:  You found mangoes!

mimi:  Yes...

Grandma:  (before i could finish my sentence) And you didn't get me a box of them!

mimi:  We got these to share, i only want a couple of them, the rest are for you.

Grandma:  (a little mollified) Well, okay.

A few minutes later,

Grandma:  I can't eat that many of them, they will go bad before I could eat them all.  Here, I'll take 3, no, wait, I'll take four, that will be enough.  You take the rest.

mimi:  Perfect, and i will share them with #1 Son.

See?  Just as i planned, only i had to let it be her plan.

While taking the mangoes to the foyer where i put things to be moved to the car later, i passed the wet bar area where they keep both potent and non-potent potables, and heard Grandpa in there clinking those bottles of water around putting them away and muttering, "Doggone bottles!"  She really does already have plenty, but she insists on his getting more every time, just in case.

Clothile done come back from makin' de groceries an' she still be buyin' like dey gots to stock up fo' de storm season.  Boudreaux jes' shake hims head an' get Aline an' Tee come he'p wit' de puttin' away.

While dey be puttin' de cans in de cupboard, while Clothile be at de car gettin' de las' bags, Boudreaux turn to de chil'ren an say, "Jes' t'ink, someday, all dis gonna be yours!"

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Sunday Selections was started as a way for bloggers to use photos that might otherwise just languish in their files.  The rules have been relaxed, and it is now simply a showcase for your photos, new or old, good or bad, although nothing rude, please.  It is now hosted by Elephant's Child.    

How about flowers and a sort-of-cooperative butterfly:

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Today is:

Armed Forces Day -- Sao Tome and Principe

Defense Day -- Pakistan

Ear and Trumpter Contests for Mice -- Fairy Calendar

Father's Day -- Australia; Fiji; New Zealand; Papua New Guinea

Festa Della Rificolona -- Florence, Italy (one of Florences oldest and most colorful celebrations; through tomorrow)

Fight Procrastination Day/National Do It Day

Flag Day -- Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles

Harvest Wine Celebration -- Livermore, CA, US (open-house visits to over 40 wineries)

National Coffee Ice Cream Day -- Sweetie swears the best ever was at Howard Johnson Restaurants back in the day

Read A Book Day -- can't find the history on it, but enjoy!

Regata Storical (Historical Regatta) -- Venice, Italy (competition among two-oar racing gondolas, preceded by Venetian ceremonial boats)

Rettir -- Iceland (around this time of year; a traditional sheep round up celebrated in Iceland during September and into October, actual round up dates may vary from region to region)

Sacrifice to Hera Thelchinia -- Ancient Greek Calendar (date approximate)

Somhlolo Day -- Swaziland (Independence Day)

St. Magnus of Fussen's Day (Patron of crops; against caterpillars, hail, lightning, reptiles, vermin)

Stillbirth Remembrance Day -- Canada (some Provinces); US

Unification Day -- Bulgaria

Wakes Sunday -- Abbots Bromley, England

Birthdays Today:

Justin Whalin, 1974

Sarah Strange, 1974

Rosie Perez, 1964

Elizabeth Vargas, 1962

Jeff Foxworthy, 1958

Jane Curtin, 1947

Swoosie Kurtz, 1944

Jo Anne Worley, 1937

Billy Rose, 1899

Joseph P. Kennedy, 1888

Jane Addams, 1860

Catharine Esther Beecher, 1800

John Dalton, 1766

Marquis de Lafayette, 1757

Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, 1711

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp"(TV), 1955

Jack Dempsey/Billy Miske Boxing Match(First match broadcast on radio), 1920

"La clemenza di Tito/The Clemency of Titus"(Opera, Mozart K. 621), 1791

Today in History:

The Victoria, the only surviving ship of Ferdinand Magellan's expedition, returns to Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain, becoming the first ship to circumnavigate the world, 1522

The Spanish "Silver Fleet" disappears off the Florida Keys, 1622

Founding of Salem, Massachussetts, 1628

The first US lighthouse is built in Boston, 1716

Hurricane hits Martinique and Guadalupe, hundreds of ships sink and thousands die on land and at sea, 1776

Thomas Blanchard patents the lathe, 1819

Oberlin Collegiate Institute of Ohio becomes co-ed, with 4 women and 30 men in attendance, 1837

Louisa Ann Swain of Laramie, Wyoming becomes the first woman in the United States to cast a vote legally after 1807, 1870

Juliana becomes Queen of the Netherlands, 1948

Canada's first television station, CBFT-TV, opens in Montreal, 1952

Nine Israeli athletes are killed during a rescue attempt after being kidnapped at the Munich Olympic Games; two had died during the kidnapping the day before, 1972

The Soviet Union recognizes the independence of the Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and restores the name St. Petersburg to Russia's second largest city, 1991

Cal Ripken Jr of the Baltimore Orioles plays in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking a record that stood for 56 years, 1995

Diana, Princess of Wales is laid to rest in front of a television audience of more than 2.5 billion, 1997

China launches an investigation into its commercial pilots upon learning that more than 200 of them had falsified their resumes, 2010

Central Australia reports the first sighting since 1960 of a Central rock rat, 2013

Catalonia's parliament passes a law to allow a referendum on independence from Spain, 2018